Yarn winding apparatus



Jan. 12, 1965 T. c. DE PRIEST YARN WINDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1963 INVENTOR THOMAS CHARLES DE PRIEST ATTORNEY Jan. 12, 1965 Filed June 20, 1965 FIG.2

T. c. DE PRIEST 3,165,274

YARN WINDING APPARATUS Sheets-Sheet 2 F a-3 FIG.4

l3 L22 l3 5 i g 54 i THOMAS CHARLES DE PRIEST so i 46 J V 1'13"" F A 20 L, A 1 f I l 1 I INVENTOR i l M BY ATTORNEY United States Patent O a corporation of Delaware Filed June 28, 1963, Ser. No. 289,209 1 Claim. (Cl. 242-18) This invention relates to a continuous yarn windup apparatus and particularly to apparatus for winding yarn on a plurality of packages supported on a common windup chuck.

In high speed yarn winding operations it is essential that a full running speed be maintained without a lapse in yarn tension, particularly at the time the yarn end is transferred from a completed package to a new package. This has been accomplished by using improved apparatus such as that disclosed in US Patents 3,001,732 and 3,092,339. Improved yarn packages having controlled surface frictional properties have also been used to facilitate the transfer. Even with these advances considerable difiiculty has been encountered in the dofling operation,.particularly in winding spandex yarns on multiple yarn packages. Difiiculty has been encountered due to free trailing yarn ends on the completed package becoming entangled with the running ends on the package drive roll. Breaking of the threadline and interruption of winding has resulted.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide improved yarn winding apparatus which accomplishes the transfer of a plurality of yarns from completed yarn packages to new packages without interruption of winding. It is another object to provide apparatus which effectively eliminates yarn waste during the doffing operation.

With these and other objects in mind, the apparatus of this invention is comprised in general of a pair of windup chucks for supportinga plurality of yarn packages, a drive roll for rotating the yarn packages, means for continuously feeding a plurality of yarns around the drive roll and onto the packages on one of the chucks, and a movable shield positioned between the drive roll and completed packages on one of the chucks. Each of the chucks is attached to a pivot arm which is eccentrically mounted for rotating one chuck from a yarn winding position in which the peripheral surfaces of the packages mounted thereon are in contact with the peripheral surface of the drive roll to a position remote from the drive roll for dofiing the completed packages. Simultaneously, the other chuck is rotated into contact with the drive roll, brought up to winding speed, and then rotated to the winding position. The shield is normally in a retracted position outside the path traveled by the chucks during rotation from the winding to the doffing position and advanced between the drive roll and the completed packages just prior to winding on the other packages. In a preferred embodiment, the shield is comprised of a flexible sheet, one end of which is wound onto a spring biased rotatable support, the other end being attached to means for moving the sheet between the drive roll and the completed packages.

The invention will now be discussed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the apparatus of the invention;

FIGS. 2 through 9 are diagrammatic representations showing the relative positions of the drive roll, new and completed packages on the windup chucks, and the movable shield just prior to and after doffing; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the control system for advancing and retracting the movable shield.

3,165,274 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 The'yarn winding apparatus chosen for purposes of illustration includes a yarn delivery roll 10, a pair of windup chucks 12 and 14 which are mounted for rotation on pivot arm 16, a package drive roll 18, and a movable drive roll shield assembly 20. A plurality of yarns 22 are in position to be forwarded by delivery roll 10 through traverse guides, not shown, to bobbins 24, 26 and 28 which are mounted on windup chuck 12. Bobbins 34, 36, and 38 are shown in position on windup chuck 14.

In the embodiment illustrated, pivot arm 16 is mounted on shaft 30 which is journaled in cylindrical plate 32. Plate 32 is secured to a shaft, not shown, and is free to rotate about its central axis. The eccentric relationship between shaft 30 and the central axis of plate 32 permits windup chucks 12 and 14 to be rotated from a winding to a dofiing position without interrupting the winding operation.

As shown in FIG. 1, drive roll shield assembly 20 includes a flexible sheet 40,0ne end of which is wound onto a spring biased roller 42, passed under roller 44, and the other end secured to a rigid support member 46. Support member 46 is attached to the end of piston rod 50 of air cylinder 52. As air is supplied to the bottom of air cylinder 52, rod 50 raises member 46 thereby unwinding sheet 40 from roller 42 and advancing the sheet to a position between drive roll 18 and windup chuck 14.

The operation of the apparatus will now be described with reference to the diagrammatic illustrations in FIGS. 2 through 9. In the normal winding position, yarns 22 pass around drive roll 18 and are wound onto bobbins 24, 26 and 28 to form packages 13 which are positioned on windup chuck 12. During winding, pivot arm 16 is locked in position by a spring-loaded detent, not shown, resting in a cavity in plate 32. After a predetermined amount of yarn is wound onto packages 13, the operator grasps the handles 17 and 19 on windup chucks 12 and 14 and rotates pivot arm 16 in a clockwise direction bringing empty bobbins 34, 36 and 38 into contact with drive roll 18, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The peripheral surface of bobbins 34, 36 and 38 come in contact with starting lands at each end of drive roll 18 and the empty bobbins are brought up to speed. The height of the starting lands must be slightly greater than the diameter of the yarn. As shown in FIG. 1, drive roll 18 is a banded roll which has alternating high friction and low friction surfaces. This roll is of the type disclosed in Hill et al. US. 3,092,339.

After the empty bobbins 34, 36 and 38 are brought up to speed, full packages 13 are rotated from the winding position to the doffing position as the new packages are simultaneously rotated into winding position, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The full packages 13 are slowed down, and yarns 22, which adhere to the surfaces of the new packages are drawn around and into the nip formed between drive roll 18 and the new packages as the tension relaxes on the threadline, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. As the full packages 13 are rotated to the dofiing position, the shoulder of pivot arm 16 depresses the pressure release button on bleed valve 54, actuating air cylinder 52. During the interval between actuating the air cylinder and transfer of the yarn to the new bobbins, flexible sheet 40 is advanced to a position between drive roll 18 and the full packages 13, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. As Winding begins on the new bobbins, the tension on the threadline breaks the yarns leaving the loose ends protruding from the packages. The loose ends are prevented from becoming entangled with the running yarns by sheet 40. After transfer of the yarn to the new bobbins, the completed packages are removed from windup chuck 12 and new bobbins placed on the chuck. Bleed valve 56 is then depressed thereby actuating air cylinder 52 and retracting sheet 40 and permitting it to rewind on roller 42, as shown in FIG. 9.

A pneumatic system for advancing and retracting 'the drive roll shield is schematically shown in FIG.'10. In the schematic illustration, air is supplied from a source 58 to a four-way valve 50, which is connected by suitable conduits to air cylinder 52 and bleed valves 54 and 56. When air is released from bleed valve 54, by the action of the shoulder of pivot arm 16 depressing the valve, air is supplied to the bottom portion of air cylinder52 thereby raising piston rod 50. When bleed valve 56 is depressed, air is supplied to the opposite end of cylinder 52 ing the new packages into winding position. The tension during winding, and the size of packages,- can be controlled by those skilled in the art. It is preferred that the bobbins which are used have a surface coating ,comprised of a polyvinylidene chloride resin. The use of counterweight to maintain the winding packages in contact'with the surface of the drive roll may be necessary.

'It is apparent that these and other changes and modifications may be made in the disclosed yarn winding apparatus without departing from the spirit of the present invention-which is, therefore, intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim: V

A yarn Winding apparatus comprising a pair of windup chucks for supporting a plurality of yarn packages, a drive roll for rotating said yarn packages while supported on one of said chucks, means for, continuously feeding a plurality ofyarns around said drive roll and onto packages on said one chuck to complete the packages thereon, a shield, and means for moving said shield, each of said chucks being secured to a pivot arm which is eccentrically mounted for rotating said one chuck from a yarn winding position in which the peripheral surfaces of, said completed packages mounted thereonv are in contact with the peripheral surface of saiddrive roll to a position remote from said drive roll for dofling said completed packages while simultaneously rotating said other chuck into winding position where incomplete packages thereon can be completed, said shield comprising a flexible, sheet, one end of which is wound on a flexible spring biased rotatable member,.said shield being normally in a retracted position outside the path'traveled by said chucks during rotation from the winding to the dolfing position and extendible ,toa shielding position between said drive roll References Cited in the file of this patent' UNITED STATES PATENTS Petersen et al. Apr. 23, 1957 Hill et al. Sept; 26, 1961 

